


The most perfect Christmas

by TomatoFujoshi



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff, fandot secret santa 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 11:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9070309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomatoFujoshi/pseuds/TomatoFujoshi
Summary: Gift for beneaththeshelterofthetrees on tumblr. Part of the fandot secret santa exchange.The difference between Christmas in the past and present is who you are celebrating with.And that can be the the make or break.





	1. Memories of Christmases Past

As a child christmas had been Martin’s favourite holiday. He would write pages upon pages to santa talking about his dreams and he would listen and gift him model planes and books. Sometimes more expensive things like trips to aviation museums, training sessions with flight simulators,   
Santa was the only person outside of his family who listened to him talk about flying. 

When Martin grew up and realised Santa wasn’t real, when his parents slowly stopped being supportive of his dream, christmas lost that status. Christmas became the time of year when he had to face his family and admit to his failures once again. 

Even after he finally became a pilot christmas never was the same. Kaitlyn and Simon had their own families they brought, his father was gone so he spend the holidays sitting next to his mum gushing about her grandchildren, his siblings partners and so on. 

Until he could bring home a partner finally…  
Until there was more to Christmas than sitting with his mum and siblings…

__________________

Arthur had always been enthusiastic. Especially when celebrations were involved. He almost loved other people’s birthdays more than his own because he got to do a lot more for them instead of just sit around waiting for others to organise his party. It was why christmas was so high on his list of favourite holidays because EVERYONE got to do nice things and he could do nice things for so many people at the same time. 

When he was small Gordon never complained about his enthusiasm around christmas. He never praised Arthur’s presents like others did, but he sometimes smiled when Arthur unwrapped his science kits, building kits. And started playing with them right away.

As Arthur grew up those things made way for books about business. While Gordon became less than friendly about Arthur’s homemade gifts. Showing more enthusiasm about mulled wine and eggnog than their family celebrations. 

So when Carolyn divorced Gordon and Arthur was once again free to make things however he wanted he tried every craft imaginable to make gifts.   
The first few years the gifts could only be described as experimental, but he got better and better and found the crafts he was good at. 

Which led to this year’s Christmas.

___________________

 

Douglas liked Christmas like every other child did.   
It was a time of joy and presents.   
He grew out of the excitement surrounding Christmas like so many children did.   
A time to go home from school and try not to make it known he didn’t enjoy biology or medicine as much as his parents wanted him to.   
A time to go home to his parents barely concealing their disappointment at him not becoming a doctor. Not even to go into any other ‘respectable’ field but to become a pilot.

In a sense it became easier when he married and Verity was born. He could spend Christmas with them instead of his parents.   
He loved the shine in Verity’s eyes when she was old enough to grasp the concept of Christmas. The warmth of the fireplace when they all sat together to open presents, enjoy the atmosphere of the dim lights.

After his first divorce he contemplated going back to his parent’s for christmas but instead he volunteered to work. Trying to get a hold of Verity on boxing day. 

The circle repeated again and again. 

_____________________

 

Of course Carolyn had loved Christmas as a child. Up to the point where Ruth had started making gift giving into a contest of most expensive, most enjoyed and whatever else she thought of that year. 

Her first husband didn’t get her away from all that. He insisted on spending Christmas with her family because it was ‘so nice’. So she was stuck with Ruth adding another Christmas contest.   
Flirting with Carolyn’s husband. 

Gordon always insisted on celebrating in his house and at first she was happy to be away. Then Arthur came along and Christmas really became enjoyable again until it wasn’t. 

After that disaster of a divorce Christmas became a good time again.   
Carolyn would never admit to it but in a chest under her bed was everything Arthur had ever made her that had survived Gordon.

Their family was a small one but she couldn’t wish for better.  
And for once adding more people only made it better.

 

____________

 

Shipwright family Christmas had always been a big affair.   
Relatives from all over the country met in the most convenient place. The children almost outnumbered the adults but it was always a surprisingly orderly affair.

Herc enjoyed seeing the cousins he never saw at other times of the year, the mountains of presents everyone got from all the far branches. 

This tradition was still ongoing and when his wives agreed to come he brought them with him to the gatherings. If they didn’t he missed his relatives for a few years but he could deal with it to spend a romantic night off with his wife. 

His fifth wife was the only one where he didn’t miss his relatives even when he wasn’t spending Christmas with them.


	2. Making Memories of Christmases Present

Arthur spend the whole month of December arranging and rearranging the decorations around the house. Carolyn tried to stay out of his way when that happened, didn’t say anything, letting her son do what he needed to do to make the holidays special.  
Herc, despite Carolyn’s warnings, offered his help to Arthur so he was regularly roped into helping hang fairy lights or rearrange the ornaments in the tree.   
At one point Finn McCool III found his way into the nativity scene. It was hilarious so Carolyn snapped a picture. Just hours later the sheep was back behind the tree, though Carolyn suspected Herc was responsible for that part of redecorating the house. 

The only time Carolyn stepped in was when Arthur decided to hang the garlands in dangerous ways. And when on Christmas day, after they had unwrapped a few of the presents Arthur had tried to rearrange everything once again. Carolyn did her best to channel Arthur’s restless energy into more productive things. Nothing would be gained if Arthur redecorated everything while Herc and herself tried to get the party ready around him. It would just become a scavenger hunt for several things she needed. 

It had worked to an extend. A few figurines and ornaments moved but everything else stayed thankfully put. Arthur was also successfully kept away from certain parts of the meal preparation.   
Cutting vegetables and arranging finished cooking were parts of cooking Carolyn gladly passed on to Arthur, but he should never be let near the actual preparation.  
Herc, Carolyn had learned early on, was a very good cook even if he refused to prepare anything with meat in it.   
But for a meal as big as today’s it was great to be able to split up the work.

_________________

 

At exactly 5pm, as if someone had been waiting for the clock hand to move, the doorbell rang. 

Arthur jumped up from where he had sat down with a cup of tea and ran down the hall. Carolyn shook her head at his excitement but didn’t comment.   
It could only be Martin.   
Douglas would never be this punctual. He wouldn’t let them wait too long, she knew he wanted to be here but she also knew he loved to pretend he didn’t care about their party and didn’t want to spend his days off with his ‘hated’ co-pilot.

Carolyn could hear Arthur’s excited voice over the Christmas music playing but didn’t understand much.   
She didn’t need to. 

Moments later Martin and Theresa walked into the living room. Arthur wasn’t in front or behind them so Carolyn guessed he was carrying their luggage up to the guest room. 

“Merry Christmas, you two.” Carolyn greeted “How was your trip?”   
“Merry Christmas!” The two guests echoed back.  
“The roads in Switzerland were horrible, but the flight and the drive from the airport were good.”  
“Honey you are not allowed to complain about icy roads if you didn’t do the driving” Theresa said kissing him on the cheek before moving past him to the sofa. Martin followed her, dropping the bag he was still carrying close to the tree.

Moments later Arthur was back.

“Mum can we unwrap more presents now?”  
“No. We’ll wait till after Dinner. Douglas isn't here yet either.”  
“Aww.” Arthur said, mood not changing a lot before he dropped down so he was sitting on the floor with his back against one of the free chairs. 

_________________

 

It was just after 5pm.   
Dinner wouldn’t be for a bit, so they fell into easy conversation.   
Laughing about the past, sharing stories of the present and wondering about the future.   
Time flew by like that.   
None of them realised when the time moved into dinner time territory, only the doorbell signalling the arrival of their last guest burst them out of their bubble. 

With a speed that shouldn’t have been possible for a man his size, Arthur was up from the floor and out the living room door to open the door.   
Carolyn had barely heard the click of the door opening before she could already hear her son saying “Douglas!”

The rest was lost over the christmas music that was still playing in the background, only a few words making their way into her ears, but she supposed it was mostly Arthur chatting at Douglas about the brilliance of Christmas. 

Arthur had taken well to her marrying Herc, but Douglas still seemed to be his favourite out of her pilots. 

Finally checking the time Carolyn used the break in conversation to stand up.  
“Now that we are all here I’ll put the finishing touches on dinner. Herc, you coming?”  
Martin made some aborted attempt at trying to help too. But Carolyn shot him down with just a look and left for the kitchen with Herc in tow. 

There wasn’t much to do for dinner. Most of it was just heating and serving.   
It was easily done between the two of them and soon the normally mostly ornamental dinner table was filled with steaming bowls and plates.

Just one shout of “Dinner is ready” and the chairs around the table filled up.   
There wasn’t a seating arrangement but things just naturally fell into place as if they had done this kind of thing for years and years instead of it being the first time all of them came together to celebrate this holiday.

No arguing between Martin and Douglas.  
No arguing even between Douglas and Herc.   
Just a calm dinner.

Carolyn didn’t want to say it out loud, didn't want to jinx it, but it was a family dinner.  
The first enjoyable family dinner she had in a long time. 

________________________

 

After everyone was full and the leftovers had been put away they all gathered in the living room again.   
Martin’s bag had been unpacked and two other stacks of presents had found their way under the tree.  
One stack was haphazardly packed gifts, more tape and ribbons than actual paper.   
The next was beautifully wrapped in different papers. Like stores wrapped them.   
The last one was wrapped in an exact manner. No corner or crease out of place. All adorned with a different bow. 

Just from that Carolyn knew exactly who had brought the gifts. 

As soon as she was sitting in her chair Arthur started scooting over to the tree, throwing her an asking look. She didn't need to answer. Not telling him to stop would be enough. She smiled regardless.  
As soon as Arthur had reached his pile he took the top gift from his pile and handed it to Douglas.   
Not even a minute later everyone had Arthur’s present for them in their laps.

They all unwrapped their gifts at their own pace. 

Arthur had made everyone their own personalised Christmas Sweater. 

It was perfectly knit and very soft.  
Carolyn loved it.   
She loved it when her son was freely creating.   
Freely himself.

Martin wore his right away. As did Theresa. Douglas put up a fight but Carolyn knew he would end up wearing it sooner or later. (Douglas might think his soft spot for her son wasn’t obvious, but she could see it. She knew how a man looked that didn’t care for him).  
Herc took a while longer to inspect it in detail but then put it on readily too. And who was Carolyn to deny her son, so she put on the sweater even if it was way too warm to be wearing it in front of the fireplace. 

They continued sharing gifts in a similar manner, one person handing out all their gifts then unwrapping together, but no other gift had as much of an impact on Carolyn as Arthur’s had had. 

All gifts were still perfect in their own way. 

And in its own way this Christmas with her found family was the most perfect she had ever seen.


End file.
